Aviva Stadium (Irish Rugby Union)

Irish Rugby Union

Aviva Stadium

62 Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4, Dublin, Ireland

Capacity of 51,700 Phone Number : +353 (0)1 238 2300

The Aviva Stadium (Irish: Staid Aviva) (also known as Lansdowne Road) is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,700 spectators (all seated). It is built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road stadium, which was demolished in 2007, and replacing it as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the Republic of Ireland football team. The decision to redevelop the stadium came after plans for both Stadium Ireland and Eircom Park fell through. The Aviva Group signed a 10-year deal for the naming rights in 2009.
The stadium, located adjacent to Lansdowne Road railway station, officially opened on 14 May 2010. The stadium is Ireland's first, and only, UEFA Elite Stadium and in 2011, it hosted the Europa League Final. It also hosted the inaugural Nations Cup, as well as the regular home fixtures of the national rugby team and national football team from August 2010 onwards.
Unlike its predecessor, which was solely owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), the current stadium is controlled by the IRFU and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) through a 50:50 joint venture known as the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC). The joint venture has a 60-year lease on the stadium; on expiry the stadium will return to the exclusive ownership of the IRFU.
The stadium has five tiers, with the lower and upper tiers being for general access, the second and third tier for premium tickets and the fourth tier for corporate boxes. The north stand, however, is single tiered due to its proximity to local housing. This stand is expected to be the away stand for football internationals. There are two basement levels and seven storeys of floors. The premium level holds 11,000 spectators, while the box level holds 1,300. The remaining 38,700 seats are shared between the top and bottom tiers. The capacity of the stadium was criticised even before its opening for being too small, particularly in light of the large supporter attendance figures for Irish rugby internationals and soccer internationals at Croke Park since 2007. The stadium's roof is designed to undulate in a wave-like manner so as to avoid blocking light to local residences.